


Left Behind

by busaikko



Series: snippets [2]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, E-mail, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-05
Updated: 2014-03-05
Packaged: 2018-01-14 13:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1268119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/busaikko/pseuds/busaikko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where the expedition returns to Atlantis... without Sheppard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> Probably written for a flashfic challenge, this is more the extended dance mix of a drabble than a full story.

To: jcsheppa@mil.us  
From: rm112358@hotmail.com  
Re: found you

Do you have any idea how hard it has been to find you? You just disappeared, and we were leaving, and we kept asking about you and finally they said you'd been given different orders. Christ, John. I know you know where we are, and you know that we don't really have that much of a choice, considering what we're up against. We've been spamming the Air Force, because we NEED you, but it's a complete brick wall. They wouldn't even tell us where you were, or HOW you were, or what you were doing. However! We may be geeks far, far away, but the Force is with us, if you know what I mean. Everyone sends their love; other people will be writing to you, but we're trying to keep under the radar, so to speak, so don't expect epistles or anything. We'll work on it. Um. Right, you know me, you know you're not going to get an emoticon or some *virtual touchie-feelie* so just. Talk to you later.

* * *

To: "MRM"  
From: "John"  
Re: Heya

Paranoid much, MK?

* * *

To: "John"  
From: "Rodney"  
Re: No I don't think so

And I'm not little miss fucking sunshine Pollyanna, you know that. It's possible, we're possible. Okay, I can't hold your hand through all the shit you've been through and you can't be here to whap me on the shoulder and say, 'Oh, you'll think of something' (though god knows I miss it), but John -- one hundred percent possible. You, me, us. So just put that in your equation and cook it.

* * *

To: "John" , jpsheppa@mil.us, sheppard@sga.mil.us, fly.jcs@isphide.com  
From: Rodney  
Re: Ping?

John?

* * *

To: "Rodney"  
From: MAILER DAEMON@yahoo.co.jp  
Re: Failure Notice

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.co.jp.  
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.  
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

:  
249.199.188.123 failed after I sent the message.  
Remote host said: 554 delivery error: dd This user doesn't have a yahoo.co.jp account (pavehawk@yahoo.co.jp) [-5] - mta569.mail.mud.yahoo.co.jp

\--- Below this line is a copy of the message.

* * *

To: "John" , jpsheppa@mil.us, sheppard@sga.mil.us, fly.jcs@isphide.com, dearjohn314@yahoo.com  
CC: jtoneill@norad.mil.us, djackson@sgc.mil.us  
BCC: millerjk@u-bc.ac.ca  
From: "Rodney McKay"  
Re: John Sheppard

Okay, I don't know how you guys managed to lose a Lieutenant Colonel, but this is totally not funny. Where is he?

\-- Dr Rodney McKay, Atlantis

* * *

 **Your inbox:**  
From Subject  
jtoneill@norad.mil.us re: John Sheppard  
djackson@sgc.mil.us re: John Sheppard  
millerjk@u-bc.ac.ca mer I'm so sorry fwd: fwd: Tribune 060610  
MAILER DAEMON@yahoo.com Failure Notice  
MAILER DAEMON@yahoo.co.jp Failure Notice

* * *

Rodney looked at his inbox one last time and then shut the laptop slowly, so that its click was a soft whisper, not enough to draw attention. He stood and walked out of the lab; again: quietly, unobtrusively. He walked down the corridor to the nearest balcony and crossed to lean on the railing, to stare out at the ocean that surrounded all, waves cresting brilliant with the light of an alien sun. His hands wrapped tight around the railing. He felt small, insignificant, alone; abandoned, and very far from home.

It was a very long time before he turned his back on the sea and the sky, to walk slow and careful back inside.


End file.
